Change of the Rules
by miraleeann
Summary: A one shot involving Harry and his children, though mostly Lily. This could be considered part of TWICHB world, but it doesn't have to be.


Lily Potter was miserable. She was hugging a large pillow close to her body as she sat in her window seat, watching her older brothers fly around the backyard playing an intense game of Quidditch.

She sighed loudly as she leaned against the wall. Her own mother, a professional Quidditch player, had set the rule that her children had to be eleven before they were allowed to learn how to fly. Of course, this was actually the law, though not everyone followed it. Lily knew plenty of other children her age whose parents were already teaching them to fly and she absolutely hated that both her brother's could and she couldn't. It didn't help that she still had a full year before she'd be eleven either. Nor did it help that she knew for a fact that her uncles had taught her mother to fly long before she was eleven, though they did admit that their parents hadn't known about it at all. And James had offered to teach her once, a few months prior, but she had declined. She wasn't the type to disobey and break the rules, no matter how badly she wanted to.

She watched as her dad crossed the lawn from the shed and stopped to talk to her brothers. No doubt they were begging him to play with them. She watched as the three of them laughed about something and then her father headed towards the house.

Sighing once more she closed her eyes and although she knew it was silly, she wished with all her might that she could just be eleven already.

"You okay Lil?"

She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to see her father standing in her doorway, a curious look on his face.

"I'm fine," she replied in a soft voice.

Harry raised an eyebrow as he crossed the threshold into her room and perched on the edge of her window seat, next to her feet. "You don't seem okay."

Lily shrugged silently as her eyes drifted towards the window once again. Her brothers were having the time of their lives out there and she was missing out completely.

"You could always go out there and watch them you know," Harry pointed out. "Perhaps you three can come up with a game to play while they fly and you don't." The moment the words left Harry's mouth he realized how stupid he had just sounded. Of course watching them would be no fun at all and he couldn't think of a single game that included two children who could fly and one who couldn't.

His mind drifted back to his own childhood. Obviously he knew nothing about flying until he was eleven and able to do so but he knew plenty about losing his privileges to his broom. He smiled softly at the memory funny Sirius always gave in and allowed him to fly once more whenever his friends were some how involved. If he was going to the Weasley's, Sirius would sternly remind him that it could be taken away again for any misbehavior but he'd allow him to fly. At the time, Harry had thought he had somehow pulled one over on his godfather but looking back he supposed that perhaps Sirius wasn't nearly as strict as he tried to appear to be.

Lily gave her father a pointed look. "Watch them fly?"

"I know," Harry nodded in agreement. "That was a stupid thing to say. Watching them would be no fun at all."

"It's really not even fair daddy," Lily said in a soft voice. "Mum learned how to fly when she was about eight and I'm ten, a whole two years older."

"And your mum and uncles broke the rules in doing that. Have you any idea what your grandmother would have done had she known?"

Lily shrugged at the words and then nodded once.

Her parents were always telling her stories of all the trouble they got into when they were young and the consequences that followed but she had a hard time believing most of it. As far as Lily was concerned her grandparents were the sweetest people she knew and her grandmother never even raised her voice at her, let alone punished her, or any of her grandchildren for anything. 'That only started when she became a grandmother,' her mum always said. 'That is not the same woman who raised me, I promise you.' But Lily wasn't sure she believed it.

"It's just really not fair," Lily replied after a moment. "How would you feel if everyone could fly except you?"

"That's not true, Hugo can't fly either and…"

"But he doesn't live her," Lily cut her father off.

Harry sighed softly as his thoughts once more went back to his own childhood. It had been twenty years since Harry had first ridden a broom and that feeling had never left him. The utter joy he had felt when he had risen off the ground. He still enjoyed flying to this day and would often join his sons in a game of Quidditch when he had the time.

"Alright then," he said suddenly as he stood up. "Follow me."

Lily immediately jumped up and began following her father. It wasn't until they were halfway down the stairs that she spoke.

"Where are we going?" She asked and Harry instantly noted the hint of excitement in her voice.

"We're going to teach you how to fly," Harry replied.

Lily sucked her breath in in surprise as her feet touched down on the lower level of the house. "But mum…"

"Won't be home for a few hours," Harry cut her off. "And when she gets home I'll speak with her about this."

"Really?" Lily asked in amazement as she followed her father into the kitchen.

"Really. Rules can change," Harry replied as he stopped in front of the back door and turned around crouching down to her height. "In all honesty Lil that rule was made when your brothers were young and between you and I, you are far more mature at ten years old than they were. I think you are more than responsible enough to learn how to fly."

"Thank you daddy!" Lily nearly squealed in delight as she wrapped her arms around her father's neck for a quick hug.

Harry hugged her back tightly before pulling away from her and standing up straight. "Alright then," he said. "Let's do this."

He pushed the back door open, the bright sun momentarily blinding him.

"Head over to the shed," he instructed his daughter. "There is a broom you can use next to your mother's broom…it should be the right size for you."

Lily didn't respond but took off in a full fledge run across the yard to the shed and seconds later emerged with the broom and began running back towards her father.

Harry smiled at the sight of her, her red hair flowing behind her made her look so much like her mother and that thought alone convinced him that he was doing the right thing in teaching her. After all, at ten her mother could already fly like a little professional.

The sight of Lily with a broom in her hands caused James and Albus to come out of the sky.

"Why does she have a broom?" James asked in a curious voice.

"Because I'm going to teach her how to fly," Harry responded. "Alright Lil you want to come around to this side and…"

"What about mum?" Albus asked the shock evident in his voice.

"Just who do you think is the boss in this house?" Harry asked.

"Mum," all three children answered immediately and in unison.

Harry stifled a laugh and tried his hardest to keep his expression neutral. "Yes well, you three just leave your mother to me. Now as I was saying Lil stand this side and raise your hand over the broom….yes just like that," he smiled as his daughter followed his directions.

"And in a firm voice say, the word, 'up.' And don't be too discouraged if it takes a few tries sometimes…."

"Up," Lily said firmly and the broom rose from the ground to her hand without a moment of hesitation.

"Whoa Lil that was wicked!" Albus smiled at his sister.

"I had to say it like four times before it listened," James added.

Lily smiled proudly at her brothers before looking back at her father.

"Very good Love! Now, mount it and hold on tightly and kick yourself up off the ground.

Lily listened to the instructions and then did as she was told, finding herself seconds later hovering over the ground.

"I did it!" She continued help but shriek excitedly.

"Excellent work darling!" Harry smiled proudly as his sons gave their own words of encouragement.

Lily squealed happily as her broom rose a few more inches from the ground.

"Hold on Lil," James said as he quickly mounted his own broom. "Wait up for me."

"And me!"

Harry smiled as he watched his boys fly carefully around their younger sister. He couldn't help but concentrate on Lily. She seemed completely at ease on her broom, much like he had felt twenty years ago. The excitement on her face told it all; though she was the spitting image of her mother clearly her first experience with flying matched her father completely.


End file.
